Amnesty International Cork would like to thank all those who took part and supported the music night which took place at The Gate Bar, Youghal, last May. Local bands as well as musicians and artists from Cork and Waterford gave their services free towards the successful fundraiser. The event raised €670 which will go towards the organisations ongoing campaigns.
Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com | Email: news@youghalonlinecom

A special thanks to Ged and Margaret Mckay for hosting the night and special thanks also to all our local sponsors, Allure Beauty Salon, Cyberoom, Walter Raleigh Hotel, Youghal Sports and Leisure, YoughalOnline.com, Coachouse Restaurant, Healing Hands, Niland Hair Salon, Roma Grill, Supervalu, Team Bailey, Valerie’s Hair Salon, Extra Vision and the Malton Hotel, Killarney.

Some of the performers who played at the fundraiser event included, DeBurca, Dodge n’ The Urban Druids, Pot of Jam, The Birds, The Steve Whelan Band, Niall McCarthy n’ Friends and DJ Chris Rocks. Each band performed for 30 mins.
Many thanks to each person who came along to hear the bands.We expect to run the event every few months.

‘Capella’, the senior chamber choir from The Wallace High School, Lisburn, Co. Antrim gave an outstanding performance at St Mary’s Collegiate Church on Wednesday (June 30th 2010). The repertoire included works by Vivaldi, Stanford, Weelkes, Britten and McGlynn. The choir has 30 members, and includes students from ages 14 to 18.
Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com Email: news@youghalonline.com

Capella has performed far and wide, from concert tours of Belgium, Paris (Notre Dame, La Madelaine) to the Czech Republic.  There were in Boston and New York last June, where they sang at Old North Church, Boston, MA, St Mary the Virgin, Times’ Square, NY, St John Devine Metropolitan Cathedral, NY and also Central station.

The choristers meet 5 mornings a week before school, one day after school and a couple of evenings per half term in order to deal with the extensive repertoire.

Capella is directed by Mr David Falconer, Head of Music and is accompanied by Mr Theo Saunders, Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh.

All proceeds from the night went towards the church.

Following its statutory July meeting, Youghal Town Council held a Standing Orders meeting to decide whether to retain Tuesday mornings for its monthly sittings or revert to Monday evenings. Meetings have been held at 10 am on Tuesdays since April, during the council executive’s work-to-rule protest at public sector pay conditions. Prior to the dispute’s settlement, the town clerk and staff only work daytime hours.

Two issues pre-occupied the thoughts of the eight councillors present. Firstly, though the move to Tuesdays had been chosen as a temporary measure, some members had found it suited them better. Others preferred Monday but all claimed either arrangement was acceptable.

Secondly, there was Cllr Donie Daly, Youghal’s first Labour councillor since 1986 and elected with 308 first preferences. The freelance financial consultant has missed all day meetings due to work commitments in Limerick. The councillor also opted for ten days pay in lieu of holidays/time off from work due to redundancy fears if his contract is not extended next month.

Cllr Daly has been unhappy about the switch to Tuesday morning and has publicly and repeatedly aired his grievance. Seldom hesitant to speak his mind, he has cast himself, rightly or wrongly, as a victim of intent by some councillors.

The councillor recently ruffled feathers considerably when he responded thus to remarks that some councillors take time off work to attend meetings: “As far as I know, we have 4 full time ‘public representatives’, 2 self employed, 1 retired teacher, 1 student and myself. I’m not working to supplement my benefits, or in addition to my pocket money. I can’t take time off from my part time job cutting grass or doing my paper round. This is a real job, with real responsibilities, in order to pay real mortgages and feed a real family.’

To say some of his council colleagues were miffed by his observations would be understating on the lines that the pope has a thing about religion! Cllr Daly says he has been “taken up wrongly.” but their shadow lay heavy as a blanket as the Standing Orders debate commenced.

Standing Orders

Mayor Mary Linehan Foley began by observing that while the decision to hold daytime meetings was enforced, it had suited several councillors, especially those with families at home, including herself. Acknowledging that, “one particular councillor is not suited by morning meetings” she proceeded that when she first ran for council, she knew that times could fluctuate. “In 1999 some meetings were held at 2pm,” she recalled. The mayor, a mother of five, said she had always managed to attend meetings and would continue to do so, regardless of their time, in accordance with the trust placed in her by the electorate. The same applied to voluntary committee meetings, she added. She concluded by saying any impression that the council was against one member, was “totally untrue” and had never been the case in her time as a councillor.

Cllr Michael Beecher, noting it was “an honour to be elected,” said professionally, mornings suited him best in summertime but he now wanted Monday evening meetings restored.

Cllr Barbara Murray too preferred morning meetings but “out of fairness” to Cllr Daly, she felt the meetings should return to Monday nights.

Cllr Michelle Hennessy preferred daytime meetings for family reasons. She said she had always, despite “two difficult years,” attended meetings in respect of the electorate and a town “that I love dearly.”  The councillor then stridently defended her status as “a homemaker and a mother” which translated into being “a doctor, a counsellor and a taxi driver, going here, there and everywhere.” She had four children, was constantly on the road and it was very difficult being a homemaker, mother and councillor. Most men, given a week looking after children would seek liberation via a shovel, a pick and the outdoors, she claimed (uncontested mind you!).

Cllr Liam Burke had “no problem” with either arrangement but had a slight preference for morning times.

Cllr Eoin Coyne said everyone had the same mandate regardless of votes accrued. He too had no problem with either time and was “willing to work with any councillor that works with me.” However he had “a very serious issue with how Cllr Daly is going about his business.” Opting to “call a spade a spade,” he fumed that Cllr Daly had been “slating the back off us week by week, whether on the radio, the internet or in newspapers! And then he expects us to support him! I’m not accepting that!” His voice raised, Cllr Coyne said he had read on www.youghalonline.com ( CLICK HERE to to read what Cllr. Donie Daly said) that Cllr Daly had “stated he was the only person with a real full time job.” The councillor then vehemently defended his colleagues and himself against any insinuation that their lives were neither filled nor industrious. His priority was to “make a difference” to his town and to attend council meetings and he was indifferent to the time they were held.

Cllr Sammy Revins, self-employed, said he also had “a real job” and was very aware too that his wife worked hard, not least at home, where there currently resided several children from the Chernobyl movement. “We all have to make sacrifices and we have often changed meeting times,” he observed. He said he preferred night meetings, as he had to hire staff to cover for him, but would accept the majority consensus. He wanted a nine-member council and didn’t think it would “be a big sacrifice for Cllr Daly to take one a day off a month.”

Cllr Sandra McLellan said she was available for both times but she’d “rather support people that aren’t stabbing me in the back.” She considered the matter “a load of petty nonsense” and said she had attended 34 meetings the previous month, at various hours, including 11 for Cork County Council. The councillor “resented being told she didn’t have a real job” She had worked at various jobs since 16 and being a councillor was “the hardest job of all.” She had a family, made sacrifices and got through it. The councillor said it was petty of someone “to go to the media complaining about ‘poor me’ instead of talking about achievements and real issues.” She concluded that she’d “had enough” and would now choose morning meetings over evenings.

Voting

Voting centred on two proposals. Firstly, Cllr Beecher, seconded by Cllr Revins, proposed that Standing Orders revert to Monday evening meetings. Secondly, Cllr Hennessy proposed that the Standing Orders remain unaltered at Tuesday mornings, 10 am.

Cllr Beecher’s proposal produced a tie at 4-4 with Cllrs Beecher, Revins, Murray and Coyne in favour and Henessy, McLellan, Linehan Foley and Burke against. The issue was decided with the mayor’s casting vote and the proposal was defeated.

Cllr Hennessy’s proposal was then carried, with support from Cllrs Hennessy, McLellan, Linehan Foley, Burke and Coyne.

Expected nothing

Cllr Daly says he “expected nothing less” from the meeting. “It is about members of the Town Council taking actions that lack foresight and also shows that if you are in the private sector and work normal hours, don’t bother running for council in Youghal.”

The outcome casts doubt on Cllr Daly’s ability to remain in situ. The 1991 Local Government Act stipulates that that local authority membership shall be terminated if a member fails to attend meetings “over a consecutive period of six months,” except due to illness or some other approved reason. He has now missed four consecutive meetings. The councillor says he will consult with his party as to his options.
Report: Christy Parker | Photographs: www.youghalonline.com

Youghal Town Council is to commission a new safety health and safety audit on the town’s diving rocks, following the closure of the popular bathing area on health and safety grounds.
Photo: www.youghalonline.com Email: news@youghalonline.com

The decision follows public outrage and strong rejection of the closure by town councillors at June’s town council meeting. The meeting unanimously supported a motion from Cllr Barbara Murray for a new, independent survey and an assessment of how best to ensure that the area is quickly rendered as safe as is practicable.

Town Manager Patricia Power ordered the closure of the popular bathing area adjacent to the Youghal lighthouse three weeks ago weeks ago, following a safety audit report from the Irish Water Safety Association.

Ms Power told June’s meeting that she had ordered the audit after being informed of safety concerns through the county council’s health and safety section, thus dissipating the perception that concern had arisen amongst the public.

There had never been an accident at the spot through its 160 years history but the report included a town council-provided diving board, emergency access and an un-railed walkway amongst its concerns.

Youghal town councillors were unanimous in their contention that personal responsibility should apply, such as pertains to places like Skelling Michael and even the town’s quayside. They challenged the reports credibility on the grounds that it lacked “local knowledge,” insisted that emergency services had easy access by sea to an area in which they actually trained and argued that the closure of pedestrian access/exit now endangered those accessing the area from the beach.

It was also contended that life-long, octogenarian users are now climbing a wall to reach the rocks. The councillors claim that minor repairs and adequate signage was sufficient remedy to re-open the facility.

The manager insisted that she had had no option and would “not sit over a situation” where she was told somewhere was very unsafe. However she accepted the motion’s request and said the new report’s findings would be assessed with a view to implementing its recommendations as soon as possible.

The audit, costing €2,500, will be conducted by Chris Me, Safety Engineering Cork and will focus on practical safety rather than structural issues. Crucially it will occur in summer conditions and by a firm familiar with Youghal.

The Youghal Family Fun Festival ‘Queen of the Sea’ 2010 winner was announced on Saturday night (17th July 2010) by the popular MC Tommy Collins from Youghal local radio CRY. The event was broadcast live by CRY from the event stage specially set up at the Market Square in the centre of town. The lucky winner was Susie Fitzgibbon, representing Aherne’s Seafood Restaurant.
Report/Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com | Email: news@youghalonline.com

Each contestant was first briefly interviewed by the MC in front of the judging panel and a large crowd of well wishers, supporters and admirers, who enjoyed the glamorous and colourful event despite the inclement weather.
All the girls were dressed in stunning dresses and the judging was almost impossible to pick, however, pick they had to, and this year’s Kerry Rose, Veronica Hunt, crowned local girl Susie Fitzgibbon with the inaugural ‘Queen of the Sea’ tiara. A stunned and delighted Susie was cheered and clapped by the other contestants and their escorts.

Susie was then presented with the ‘Queen of the Sea 2010′ glass trophy as a memento of the occasion, the sash, bouquets of flowers and a cheque of €500, sponsored by Gavin Tivy from The Seahunter Charter boats and Warren Tivy from Claycastle recording studios, Youghal.

Susie, aged 18, is hoping to work in either languages or psychology. Her ambitions for the future include travelling and learning Italian. Her many hobbies include swimming and speech & drama.

The winner and the other contestants and escorts were then transported in a cavalcade of vintage cars to the nearby Mall Arts Centre, where they were greeted by the Mayor of Youghal, Mary Linehan Foley, and piper, Olan McCarthy from The Youghal Pipe Band.

After the champagne reception, the ladies and escorts danced the night away in the ballroom to the fabulous music of the ‘Roaring Fortie’s Dance band.

The whole event went very smooth thanks to the organisers, volunteers, Garda, and local emergency services. Warren Tivy, from Claycastle Recording Studios, told Youghalonline.com that he was very happy and delighted to be one of the sponsors of this event. He said, “It proved very popular despite the weather, the whole community and businesses were behind the festival and that will help to make it even bigger again next year”. Congratulations to the ‘Raining’ Queen of the Sea.

Click on image to see the Queen of the Sea event. Photo: www.youghalonline.com

The Family Fun Festival featured a sandcastle building competition which attracted large crowds at the Mall Strand. Photo: www.youghalonline.com

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The Family Fun Festival featured a Food Fair at Barry’s Lane which attracted large crowds. Photo: www.youghalonline.com

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Youghal Fire Brigade demonstration at the Market Square as part of the Family Fun Festival 2010. Photo: www.youghalonline.com

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The Family Fun Festival kicked off on Friday 16th July 2010 with the opening event, a ‘Mardi-Gras’ Parade through the streets ending at the Market Square in the centre of the town. The colourful parade was led by the Youghal Pipe Band followed by lots of floats representing the different clubs and  local businesses of Youghal and of course the Queen of the Sea ladies.
Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com Email: news@youghalonline.com

MC for the weekend CRY’s popular anchorman,Tommy Collins, who greeted the large crowds, along with the new Mayor of Youghal, Mary Linehan Foley, Veronica Hunt, the Kerry Rose for 2010, members of the judging panel for the ‘Queen of the Sea’ competition and organising committee.

This festival will feature a non-stop programme of events. The highlight of the entire weekend however will be the crowning of Youghal’s very own ‘Queen of the Sea’, generously sponsored by local businesses; Claycastle Recording Studios and The Seahunter Charter Boat. “I was delighted that so many of the girls have participated in this event” commented Veronica Hunt, Kerry Rose 2010 and also a member of the Judging Panel for the Queen of the Sea. “This is such a fantastic experience for young girls , a chance to be recognised as they are all  talented, beautiful and full of personality and I am sure that their families and friends will be very proud of them” commented Veronica.

Click on image to see the Mardi Gras Parade in Youghal which starts the beginning of the Family Fun Festival. Photo: www.youghalonline.com

This FREE Festival weekend promises to be fun-packed FREE activities and entertainment for all the family, mardis gras parade, DJ’s. Bands, Busking, Food Festivals, Raft Races and Old Style Childrens games – Youghal is definitely the place to be the weekend of July 16th to 18th commented Sal Tivy.

According to Greek Mythology, Amphitrite was a very beautiful and very powerful woman – the wife of King Poseidon and Queen of the Sea.

Report: Denise FitzGerald | Photos: Ed Guiry | Michael Hussey for www.youghalonline.com | Email: news@youghalonline.com.

The Family Fun Festival, which will be held in Youghal on the weekend of July 16th to 18th, will have their very own Amphitrite, who will be chosen as Queen of the Sea from a myriad of other beautiful local girls who make up the contestants for the title.

The Queens were introduced to the people of Youghal in a very sea themed event which took place on Nealon’s Quay. Having each been presented with their sash representing their sponsors, they were a rainbow of colour and style on such a beautiful Youghal evening.  The thirty five contestants represented not only Youghal but also Killeagh, Clashmore, Midleton and Ardmore.   The Queen of the Sea is generously sponsored by local businesses – Claycastle Recording Studios and the Seahunter Charter Boat.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO START SLIDESHOW OF ALL THE CONTESTANTS IN THE INAUGURAL QUEEN OF THE SEA 2010 CONTEST. Photos: Copyright to www.youghalonline.com

The Queens, following much picture taking on the quays by friends, relatives and the media, made their high heeled way precariously down the slip way onto the Seahunter, where further photo shoots were undertaken with much laughter, enjoyment and swaying of boat.

The evening continued in the Mall Arts Centre where the Festival was officially launched by the Mayor of Youghal, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, with a large group of interested persons in attendance.

Chairperson of the organising committee, Sal Tivy of Perks Entertainment Centre told how 90% of the Festival will be FREE for everyone, the exception being the Festival Ball and BBQ. Sal continued that all monies raised from the Queen of the Sea competition will be given to the very deserving charity, Childline.

Asked how such a huge undertaking as this Festival came about, the Chairperson said that Youghal had always been a popular family destination, not only for holidays but also for family day trips from every part of the County.

Thus, in April last a group of nine people got together and formed a steering committee with the intention of putting together a “mini festival”.  Not only did the committee numbers swell to thirteen, but the “mini” festival became a major festival, and now incorporates open air, land and sea based events on river, beaches, town and countryside.

It promotes local, community based arts and crafts with musical offerings, a Mardi Gras Parade, storytelling, and the usual very popular open air activities with Fastest Daddy race, Spud and Spoon, Raft Races etc., etc., etc.,

“The Committee”, Mrs Tivy continued, “all work together very well. We meet at least once a week, to discuss and organise events which will bring fun back to our lovely seaside town, and brighten up the summer for our locals and visitors alike.  It is our hope to lift the morale of people in these times of recession, and what better way to do this than to introduce a Festival which is FREE for all and incorporates a programme of fun events for all ages”. “This Festival”, Mrs Tivy concluded, “will be a Champagne Festival on a Lemonade budget”.

Youghal’s “Amphitrite” will be chosen on Saturday morning, July 17th, by a panel of judges, and her name will be announced on Saturday night. However, this does not mean the end of the line for the other remaining contestants, as they will be included in all events over the weekend of festivities, bringing glamour and style to all proceedings.

And so, bring on the bubbly………

All photos copyright to www.youghalonline.com.